Week 15 of the NFL schedule is kinda of a transition point in the season, and as the temperatures drop and the weather comes more into play, the action heats up with postseason positioning and we usher in winter football with meaningful games with Playoff implications. For most of the season, teams play in good weather, the occasional storm notwithstanding, but often in optimal conditions, and everyone takes the season one week at a time. Win or lose, it’s a long season, there’s always next week and to quote Bill Belichick, we’re looking ahead to Cincinnati. But at this point of the season, the elements are often in play, and for the contenders, every game counts. And what better way to welcome winter football back than to kick Sunday’s games off with a classic. The frozen tundra of Lambeau Field will be the setting when the Bears and Packers meet Sunday in the midst of a Playoff race, and it will be the 200th time these teams have faced off in a rivalry that dates back to 1921. Division rivals in a big game with Playoff implications, the possibility of snow, the perfect way to usher in the final chapter of the 2019 NFL season. Meanwhile in the NBA, the season is just heating up and the only thing cold is the ice running through the veins of my boy Luka Doncic. Outside of Giannis, no one is carrying their team more than the Slovenian Prodigy, HalleLuka!, and I have to say, the 20 year old has been the second best player in the league this season and I dare you to tell me he hasn’t. So sit back, the NFL Playoff race is underway, this NBA season is out of control entertaining, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

For fans of the Bills, 49ers or Ravens, it’s been a dream season, exceeding all but their most ambitious expectations. But for all of the feel good stories in the NFL this season, there have been a few letdowns as well, teams with high expectations that find themselves mired in mediocrity. After the Thanksgiving Day games and then tonight’s loss to the Bears, not a lot of Cowboys fans are feeling particularly thankful, even if the Eagles don’t find a way to take advantage of the opportunity. With three or four games remaining, there’s still time for these teams to get it together, maybe hit a lick and make a run at the title, but at this point of the season, it’s do or die. But for fans of the Bears or Chargers, the letdown occurred weeks ago, when it became obvious that there would be no repeat of last year’s success. And after all the preseason hype in Cleveland, there may not be a bigger letdown than the Browns. Meanwhile, about a quarter of the way into the season, nothing about the NBA has let me down, even my Warriors sporting the worst record in the Association. I’m all in on for the #1 pick next June, and more Ls equals more ping pong balls. Draft high, trade D'Angelo Russell and return Steph and Klay, we’re back in the championship business and you won’t be able to tell me nothing. But that’s next year, and for now, my attentions are All Around the NBA. Without the Warriors dominating, the Association is as wide-open as we’ve seen in years, and as a result, we have so many incredible storylines to follow. So sit back, the NFL Playoff race is underway, this NBA season is out of control entertaining, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

The annual holiday tradition of food, family, friends and football makes for an excellent reminder of all we have to be thankful for. Here at the Roundup, we have a lot to be grateful for, but today, we want to express our gratitude to you, the listeners, for tuning in and giving us this forum to discuss the sports we love. And there’s a lot to discuss. Along with full plates of turkey tomorrow, we have a full slate of NFL games as well, and I’m even thankful for the ugly Bears/Lions tilt we’ll all have on in the background as the turkey finishes roasting. Bills/Cowboys might be a good enough game to rouse us from a tryptophan-induced food coma, and if you can make it to the evening, the Saints and Falcons might provide some fireworks. And that’s only the beginning, because on Sunday we get Niners/Ravens and Patriots/Texans, with a MNF nightcap of Vikings/Seahawks. That’s a lot to be grateful for, if it weren’t for all the NBA action we get interspersed throughout the weekend, highlighted by one Slovenian Prodigy, HalleLuka!, facing off with the King on Sunday. So sit back, it’s an abundance of Thanksgiving weekend sports, the NFL Playoff race is underway, the NBA is dominating my sports consciousness, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

The insta-take culture is officially out of control. Each and every week the sports media takes us on an awards tour, handing out imaginary hardware to the MVP de jour or the best team of the moment, all based on recency bias. At various points in the season, the Patriots, Cowboys and 49ers have each been the best team in the League, and now, to many people, it’s the Ravens as unquestionably the team to beat come February. I know they’re playing well, and Lamar Jackson is a revelation at QB in Baltimore, and to hear some talk about them, you’d think they already punched their ticket to the Super Bowl. But there’s still a lot of football to be played, and there are still a couple of Patriots legends in their way. And as far as the MVP goes, the whole concept of the award is based on a player’s performance over the course of a whole season, so with 6 games still to play, how are we already deciding who deserves an end of the season award? Things can change quickly in the NFL, and over the next month and a half, we’re gonna get the answers we’re looking for, but while it’s all playing out, what we should be doing is observing and asking questions. Like, is the Ravens’ D really championship material, and can Lamar Jackson keep carrying his team through 16 games? And what will Tom Brady look like in Week 17? Does Dallas have a run in them? Can Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs get it together? With so much still upon the air, how can we even think we have all the answers yet? So sit back, the NFL Playoff race is underway, the NBA is back to dominating my sports consciousness, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

There’s a good reason franchise quarterbacks are like the Holy Grail for NFL teams, most recently illustrated on Monday Night Football’s Seahawks/49ers tilt. The difference between Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo couldn’t have been more obvious, as one QB virtually carried his team to victory, while the other was conspicuously unimpressive. As dominant as SF has been this year, these days a team is only as good as their QB. With the increased emphasis on the passing game, QBs are being asked to do more than ever, and it might be a while before we see a mediocre quarterback guide a run-heavy offense and dominant defense to another Super Bowl win. It’s no coincidence that the best teams in the NFL this season, outside of SF, have the best QBs in the game. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson run the show for 7 of the best 8 teams in football. Sure, some teams think they have a franchise guy, Eagles, Rams, Vikings, Niners, I’m talking to you, but if you don’t already know you have one, you don’t have one. And speaking of franchise guys leading their teams, have I mentioned what Luke Doncic is doing in the NBA so far? Oh yeah, just about every week. Well, we’re doing it again. More Luka, and more NBA talk as well, cuz damn it’s good to have the Association back in our lives! So sit back, the NFL Playoff race is underway, the NBA is dominating my sports consciousness, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

I’m on a mission. Time and time again in this space, I’ve propped up a certain Slovenian NBA prodigy, HalleLuka, quite possibly to the point of redundancy, but until the entire sports world listens, I’ll continue to make my case. Luka Doncic is for real, and I’m excited to say, the NBA world has finally started to take him seriously. His incredible rookie year wasn’t enough for a lot of you out there, as many denounced his stats as the result of ball dominance on a terrible team, but if you watched him play, it was always easy to see something special in his game. But now, after a scorching start to his sophomore campaign, highlighted by a transcendent head to head duel with his idol LeBron James, in which he more than held his own, the kid is finally getting his props. He is a top 15 player in the Association right now, at the age of 20, with nowhere to go but up. So if you love basketball but haven’t watched Luka Doncic for a whole game, do yourself a favor and put in the time. It’s well worth it. Meanwhile, as the NFL enters the second half of the season, the push for the Playoffs really begins, and at this point, football fans would think they had a pretty good idea of who’s a contender and who’s a pretender. But I’m not quite sure any of us has a firm grasp on how well any of these teams stack up against each other. As much as we like to think we know what’s what in the NFL, no one could really see the Packers losing to the Chargers last week, or the Niners going 8-0 to start the year, or even the Falcons being this bad. But there’s still a lot of football to be played, and many fortunes to be lost or made. So sit back, we’re halfway through the NFL season, the NBA is back big time, and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Sam Darnold appeared to be in the Halloween spirit a bit early this year, as millions of TV viewers watching his Jets a few weeks ago on a national broadcast against the Patriots overheard him muttering to himself that he was seeing ghosts on the field. Sure, the NE defense is scary good, and while there’s nothing supernatural involved, they can be terrifying for opposing QBs. Speaking of fear, there was a time when the baseball world lived in a collective fear that prized Nationals pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg would see his career derailed by injuries, and for years the Nationals protected him from any potential overuse. But their much criticized caution payed off big time this year, as Strasburg finally emerged as a true ace and dominated both the regular season and Playoffs, leading them to a championship with two incredible World Series wins. And then there’s my boy, Luka Doncic, the Prodigy, HalleLuka, at 20 years old already a nightmare for opposing teams. Sure he was rookie of the year last season, but what’s really scary to me is how many pundits out there who supposedly follow the Association are still sleeping on how good he is. If you’re not watching the Mavs this year, you’re missing out on watching an All-NBA player in the making, now teamed up with a star running mate in Kristaps Porzingis, turning into a monster on the court in front of our very eyes. Like an entertaining horror movie, these guys are scary good, and always a bit of a thrill to watch. On the other hand, seeing Steph Curry go down with a wrist injury was simply a horror show, a trick with no treat, and from all Warrior fans, get well soon baller. So sit back, we’re halfway through the NFL season, the NBA is back, the World Series was historic and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. It’s been a wild week in the sports world, with the NFL season rolling along, MLB Playoffs in full swing, and in order to properly welcome the NBA back into our lives, we had to put out a special bonus podcast to fit it all in! It’s a sports fan’s favorite time of year, the annual convergence of the Big Three of American sports, and this Sunday marks a special day on the sports calendar, what I like to call the sports eclipse, where we get a full slate of NFL games, a World Series game, as well as multiple NBA games to watch. In the NFL, good matchups are few and far between, but Panthers/Niners could be good, and Browns/Pats will likely draw some ratings. In the Series, we should, if it’s not a Nationals’ sweep, get a rematch of GM1’s battle between aces Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer, always a possibility to see a historical postseason pitching duel. And in the NBA, it’s my Warriors visiting OKC, and HalleLuka, my boy Luka Doncic vs the Blazers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was early season hoops dominating the main screen in my house that night. If you want find me Sunday, on the couch is your best bet. The sports eclipse is rare, it’s beautiful, and unlike an actual eclipse, I’m actually encouraging everyone to watch. So sit back, the NFL season nears the midway point, the NBA is back, the Nationals are dominating the World Series and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Sure, we just wrapped up Week 7 in one of the most unpredictable NFL seasons we’ve seen in a long time. And yeah, sure, the World Series starts tomorrow and we have a great matchup between the Astros and the Nationals. But all of that can wait. The moment we’ve really been waiting for is here. The NBA season has finally arrived, so we’re back with a special bonus episode continuing our season previews, breaking down the Western Conference favorites and how the competition stacks up between all of the West’s dynamic duos. The Clippers have a monster roster but how well they do depends on how much Kahwi and Paul George actually play. The Lakers boast two of the game’s biggest stars, but is the roster deep enough to support them? Can the Jazz or the Nuggets make the leap, how will the Warriors and Rockets adjust to significant roster changes, and which up and coming team can grab the 8 seed? Stay tuned and find out, cuz today, it’s the NBA, all NBA and nothing but the NBA. So sit back, the Association has finally returned to our lives and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .

Fall football Sundays, the weather turning crisp, Redzone on one screen, the Game of the Week on the other, the days were golden. Or maybe that was just the number of flags being thrown each play. And the missed calls don’t help either, but the real problem with football Sundays is that the games just keep getting stopped in mid-action, giving the viewer a stunted experience with no real flow. We all want for refs to get the calls right, and with replay review rules in a constant state of flux, their job becomes much harder, but there must be something the League can do to improve officiating. With the way the season has played out so far, a lot of middling teams that will be fighting for Playoff spots, every call could be the one that affects the outcome of a critical game, so let’s figure out a way to let the players decide it. It’s time to do away with replay review, and to change officiating as we know it altogether by moving into the 21st century and embracing the available technology to help get things right. Meanwhile, as Week 7 kicks off, Patrick Mahomes exits with a knee injury on Thursday Night Football, and for about 24 hours, Patriots fans might have been making early Super Bowl plans. But for those who want a more competitive AFC race, and for those who just love watching great players, good news came Friday, in the form of a clean MRI for Mahomes. He may miss a few games rehabbing, but he’ll be back soon to see if he can’t stop the Pats AFC Manifest Destiny. So sit back, the NFL continues to be unpredictable, MLB Playoffs are bringing the excitement back to baseball, the NBA is on deckington and we’re breaking down how it’s all unfolding, next on the Roundup Podcast, so let’s get rolling . . .